EP1668740A1 - Modular patch antenna providing antenna gain direction selection capability - Google Patents
Modular patch antenna providing antenna gain direction selection capabilityInfo
- Publication number
- EP1668740A1 EP1668740A1 EP04793904A EP04793904A EP1668740A1 EP 1668740 A1 EP1668740 A1 EP 1668740A1 EP 04793904 A EP04793904 A EP 04793904A EP 04793904 A EP04793904 A EP 04793904A EP 1668740 A1 EP1668740 A1 EP 1668740A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- module
- antenna
- metal
- dielectric layer
- layer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q9/00—Electrically-short antennas having dimensions not more than twice the operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
- H01Q9/04—Resonant antennas
- H01Q9/0407—Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q9/00—Electrically-short antennas having dimensions not more than twice the operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
- H01Q9/04—Resonant antennas
- H01Q9/0407—Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna
- H01Q9/0442—Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna with particular tuning means
Definitions
- This invention relates to modular patch antennas. These antennas are especially adapted for Use in receiving audio information and data from both terrestrial and satellite transmitters. These modular patch antennas are especially adapted for use in receiving both satellite-transmitted and terrestrially-transmitted digital audio/data radio services.
- the following patents and patent applications related to these systems are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth here: U.S . Patent No . Title Issue Date
- EP 0 959 573 A2 System For Efficiently Broadcasting Via Satellite To Nov. 24, 1999 EP 990303823 Mobile Receivers In Service Areas At High Latitude Int'l. Pub. No. Title Intl. Pub. Date
- Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services such as those provided by Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio, Inc
- SDARS Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services
- XM Satellite Radio, Inc are examples of a wireless content delivery system implementation that uses both satellite and terrestrial transmitters to deliver audio and data content to users located at various parts of a service area.
- the receiver usually works with satellite signals in rural areas, and, where terrestrial sites exist, with terrestrial signals in urban areas.
- satellites are
- the SDARS systems provide various broadcast content (i.e. audio and data) delivery services over a large system service area, e.g. CONUS (the mainland United States). Signal delivery is made to subscribing receivers within a system service area from geo-stationary or geo-synchronous satellite networks, simultaneously with a ground-based terrestrial signal delivery network. Service delivery performance enhancement of these broadcast signals using selectable-beam antenna operation capability is an object of this invention.
- This invention relates to methods and systems that comprise modular patch antennas that improve the operational performance of the Satellite-based Direct Audio Radio Services (SDARS) (e.g. Sirius Satellite Radio) by user modification of such systems.
- SDARS Satellite-based Direct Audio Radio Services
- the patch antennas preferably comprise first and second modules.
- the first module comprises a first metal or metal plated radiating layer, a second, or middle, dielectric layer, and a third metal or metal plated ground layer.
- This invention also relates to methods and systems for enabling selectable receiver antenna beam patterns that provide selectable operational performance to receivers that are for use with both satellite and ground-based terrestrial networks.
- the invention could apply to a wide range of frequencies, preferred embodiments of SDARS antennas receive signals with frequencies in a range of about 2320 MHz to about 2345 MHz.
- the radiating layer comprises, in preferred embodiments, metal or metal plating such as Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, or Al.
- this layer of metal or plating has a length in the range of about 30 to about 60 mm, and a width in the range of about 30 to about 60 mm.
- the dielectric layer in preferred embodiments, comprises substances that can have different dielectric constants, such as Teflon, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), glass, ceramic, aluminum, polymers, silica, or quartz.
- This layer preferably has a height or thickness in the range of about 1 to about 5 mm, and a perimeter in the range of about 35 to about 65 mm.
- the ground layer in preferred embodiments, comprises a metal or metal plating such as Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, or Al.
- This layer of metal or plating has a width in the range of about 35 to about 65 mm, and a length in the range of about 35 to about 65 mm.
- the perimeter of each of the three layers is substantially the same, and is in the range of about 30 to about 60 mm.
- the antenna is square, rectangular, round or elliptical in shape.
- a second modular component comprises a frame that attaches to/fits onto the periphery of the first module.
- This frame preferably has a length and a width in the range of about 40 to about 75 mm, a height or thickness in the range of about 1 to about 5 mm, and preferably comprises the same material as the dielectric layer of the first module, but can comprise a different dielectric material, if desired.
- the second module may be a frame that comprises the same three layers as the first module, and, preferably, has all three layers of substantially the same size and shape as the three layers of the first module.
- the first module of the modular patch antenna in preferred embodiments, has a circularly polarized gain at elevation angles of about 40° or more in the sky, in the range of about +5 to about +6 dBic, and a vertically polarized gain, at 0° elevation angle, in the range of about -6 to about -7 dBi.
- the patch antenna preferably has a vertically polarized gain, at 0° elevation angles, of at least about -5 dBic in circular polarization, which translates to about -2 dBi in vertical polarization, assuming that the left and right hand polarization components have the same magnitude.
- the circularly polarized gain of the antenna is preferably about +3 dBic at a minimum.
- the increase in the dielectric frame size increases the circularly polarized gain of the antenna at 0° to ⁇ about -5 dBic from about -8 dBic, where the antenna patch has a periphery in the range of about 50 to about 175 mm, thus increasing the vertically polarized gain of the antenna at
- Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a first module of a modular patch antenna, optimized for reception of satellite radio transmission
- Figure 2 shows the circular polarization gain pattern of the patch antenna module of Figure 1
- Figure 3 shows the patch antenna of Figure 1 combined with a second module, namely a frame that extends the size of the dielectric layer of first module, thus optimizing the antenna for reception of terrestrial radio transmission
- Figures 4 and 5 show the measured circular polarization gain pattern of the modular patch antenna of Figure 3
- Figure 6 shows a first embodiment of an assembly of the first and second patch antenna modules
- Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of a two-module modular patch antenna.
- FIG. 1 shows a first patch antenna module 10 comprising a first metal radiating layer 11, a middle dielectric layer 12, and a third ground plane layer 13.
- module 10 is 42 cm long, 42 cm wide and 17 cm thick
- Figure 2 shows the measured gain pattern of the antenna module of Figure 1.
- This antenna provides a left-hand circularly polarized gain (LHCP) of up to 7 dBic LHCP
- This gain level is favorable for reception of signals from
- SDARS satellites that are at high elevations, e.g. 50° and above.
- Figure 2 also shows that the antenna module of Figure 1 provides a left-hand
- Terrestrial signals are vertically linear polarized. At low elevations, this module's vertically linear polarized signal reception gain is 3 dB higher than its left-hand circularly polarized signal reception gain pattern. This is because both the left-hand and the right- hand polarized gain patterns are at equal levels, producing a 3 dB higher vertical gain of —5 dBi vertical polarization (VP) gain at low elevations. Normally, 0 dBi VP gain is expected for normal terrestrial signal reception. Thus, the level achieved with the module of Figure 1 is 5 dB below the acceptable level for terrestrial reception. Terrestrial signal pickup requires the antenna beam to concentrate at low elevation angles. To obtain better terrestrial signal reception from the antenna of Figure 1, extending the patch dielectric size yields an increase at 0° elevation angle in the
- Figure 3 shows the module 10 of Figure 1 combined with a second module 14, an extended dielectric layer forming a frame around the first module.
- the perimeter of the dielectric, and of the two-module antenna, is 50 mm by 50 mm.
- the antenna's circularly polarized gain at 0° increases to -5 dBic, as compared to -8 dBic for the first module of
- Figure 1 alone.
- Figure 4 shows that the antenna of Figure 3 has a -5 dBic LHCP or -2 dBic
- Figure 5 plots the gain curves shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 on the same graph.
- the antenna of Figure 3 has 2 dB less gain at the satellite signal reception direction at
- a second module can be added to the first module manually or otherwise.
- the first module alone provides good satellite signal reception.
- a second embodiment of a modular antenna 15 comprises a first module, as shown in Figure 6, and a second module that is a frame, This frame comprises the same three layers as the first module, namely a first metal radiating layer 18, a second or middle dielectric layer 19, and a third metal ground layer 20.
- the patch antenna embodiment of Figure 6 consists solely of the dielectric material of the middle layer in the first module.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/678,463 US7167128B1 (en) | 2003-10-03 | 2003-10-03 | Modular patch antenna providing antenna gain direction selection capability |
PCT/US2004/032097 WO2005034290A1 (en) | 2003-10-03 | 2004-10-01 | Modular patch antenna providing antenna gain direction selection capability |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1668740A1 true EP1668740A1 (en) | 2006-06-14 |
EP1668740A4 EP1668740A4 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
EP1668740B1 EP1668740B1 (en) | 2008-07-23 |
Family
ID=34422149
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP04793904A Expired - Fee Related EP1668740B1 (en) | 2003-10-03 | 2004-10-01 | Modular patch antenna providing antenna gain direction selection capability |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7167128B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1668740B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602004015311D1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005034290A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP4318806A1 (en) | 2022-08-01 | 2024-02-07 | Sick Ag | Modular antenna for an rfid reader |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4827271A (en) * | 1986-11-24 | 1989-05-02 | Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation | Dual frequency microstrip patch antenna with improved feed and increased bandwidth |
US5408241A (en) * | 1993-08-20 | 1995-04-18 | Ball Corporation | Apparatus and method for tuning embedded antenna |
WO2003017425A1 (en) * | 2001-08-13 | 2003-02-27 | Molex Incorporated | Modular bi-polarized antenna |
WO2003079488A2 (en) * | 2002-03-15 | 2003-09-25 | The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University | Dual-element microstrip patch antenna for mitigating radio frequency interference |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5438697A (en) * | 1992-04-23 | 1995-08-01 | M/A-Com, Inc. | Microstrip circuit assembly and components therefor |
JP2957463B2 (en) * | 1996-03-11 | 1999-10-04 | 日本電気株式会社 | Patch antenna and method of manufacturing the same |
KR100718883B1 (en) * | 2000-08-17 | 2007-05-17 | 재단법인서울대학교산학협력재단 | A Mechanical Beam Steering Antenna and A Fabricating Method thereof |
JP3926089B2 (en) * | 2000-09-26 | 2007-06-06 | 原田工業株式会社 | In-vehicle planar antenna device |
-
2003
- 2003-10-03 US US10/678,463 patent/US7167128B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2004
- 2004-10-01 WO PCT/US2004/032097 patent/WO2005034290A1/en active Application Filing
- 2004-10-01 EP EP04793904A patent/EP1668740B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-10-01 DE DE602004015311T patent/DE602004015311D1/en active Active
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4827271A (en) * | 1986-11-24 | 1989-05-02 | Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation | Dual frequency microstrip patch antenna with improved feed and increased bandwidth |
US5408241A (en) * | 1993-08-20 | 1995-04-18 | Ball Corporation | Apparatus and method for tuning embedded antenna |
WO2003017425A1 (en) * | 2001-08-13 | 2003-02-27 | Molex Incorporated | Modular bi-polarized antenna |
WO2003079488A2 (en) * | 2002-03-15 | 2003-09-25 | The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University | Dual-element microstrip patch antenna for mitigating radio frequency interference |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of WO2005034290A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US7167128B1 (en) | 2007-01-23 |
EP1668740B1 (en) | 2008-07-23 |
EP1668740A4 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
WO2005034290A1 (en) | 2005-04-14 |
DE602004015311D1 (en) | 2008-09-04 |
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